The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 has commanded plenty of attention since its passage. But one under-the-radar aspect of that bill was the establishment of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization based in Washington, D.C.
The organization supports research that compares established health-care options to determine which treatments work best for which patients. "We fund practical studies comparing interventions that occur in real patients, in real-world settings," says Jean Slutsky, MSPH, PCORI's chief engagement and dissemination officer.
Since it launched in 2012, PCORI has approved 360 research projects and awarded $671 million. Many of the funding opportunities dovetail perfectly with psychologists' research interests, Slutsky says. "Our mental health portfolio is one of our largest areas of work, and almost every part of our portfolio could touch on things of interest to a practicing clinical psychologist."
True to its name, PCORI involves patients in every step of the research process. Patients and other stakeholders (such as health-care providers or patient advocacy groups) are invited to propose research topics. In addition, stakeholders participate in the merit reviews that determine which proposals will be funded, and are even involved in ironing out study methodology and disseminating the data.
That level of stakeholder involvement is notable, says Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, a child psychologist at Georgetown University and a member of the PCORI Addressing Disparities Advisory Board. "Patients come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Having the ability to bring those perspectives to the table is important," she says. "That is a unique and wonderful facet of PCORI."
Ellen Poleshuck, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is also impressed by the way PCORI encourages patients' involvement in the research. She has a contract to conduct a randomized trial investigating two interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged women with depression. Specifically, she's comparing an enhanced screening and referral program with a personalized patient navigation intervention to see which is more beneficial for easing depression symptoms and improving quality of life.
In previous work, Poleshuck studied an interpersonal psychotherapy intervention that was effective — but she found that disappointingly few patients actually took advantage of it. So before her current study, she and colleagues pulled together a community advisory group of patients and providers to help them better understand the barriers faced by women with depression. The study is ongoing, but so far more patients are signing up and sticking with the interventions. "It makes me hopeful we've designed a study that is responding to the [patients'] needs," she says. "I really believe that incorporating stakeholder input has made the difference."
PCORI offers a variety of funding opportunities, both small and large. For a list of the organization's research priorities and available awards, visit PCORIopens in new window.
Researchers are expected to meet established milestones to ensure that projects are staying on track, and PCORI staff and researchers stay in regular contact over the course of a study. The organization also offers webinars on topics designed to help researchers do their best work, and organizes meetings to bring together investigators from different projects to share ideas.
Breland-Noble advises applicants to keep patients' needs front and center while developing proposals. Involving patients not only makes for better research, it also provides appealing opportunities for psychologists, who are already experts at engaging people from all walks of life, she says. "Psychologists are in an amazing position to benefit from an organization like PCORI because talking to people is what we do. That's our bread and butter."
For more information, visit PCORIopens in new window.
Kirsten Weir is a journalist in Minneapolis.
